Happiness to Me...

I might just be weird, wait I know I am weird. Anyway, part of my weirdness is how I define happiness. Most people do not even recognize what or how their feelings of happiness come about. Many find happiness is something we strive for with selfish motives or how so and so make them happy. Then again others find freedom and happiness in doing whatever they want. Unfortunately, substance abuse and loss of inhibitions can appear to be happiness as well. Busyness may also feel like happiness.

Happiness to me though, is best defined mostly by the ability to help others and help make them happy. I smile the biggest when I can make someone else smile. It brings me the most joy to brighten another’s day. My day is better when their day is better and I am having the most fun when they are having fun.

Never was this clearer to me then on my last birthday. In America we have made birthdays self-centered. For my birthday though, I wanted to have my friends around me so we could have fun together. There were times though, when the question is posed “what do you want to do?” Going with the flow, I use others motive to help create happiness of the day. Sure I had a fabulous time! My friends were amazing and I felt so loved.

I realized though, selfish motives do not make me happy. I’d much rather be the person throwing the party for someone else. Honestly, that part is what makes me the happiest. Seeing that joy on their face and sparkle in their eye, then knowing I had a small part in that.

My theory is, we try to hard to make happiness about us. But we were never created to be selfish beings. So if we smile the biggest when no one else is around to witness it, are we truly being happy? Does always getting what we want make us into happy or content people?

No I do not believe anyone can be content or happy if they get their way too much. We have to have failures so that success feels that much better. Sadness brings out the joy in our lives.

Will we always be on cloud 9? No but, being on cloud 7 can feel like cloud 9 when there has been no clouds in sight.